Knotai
by MatrimKnotai
Summary: These are scenes that I am working on for a Homebrew Dungeons & Dragons campaign that I play a part of. These chapters are not in any particular story order or have any actual relevance to the official Dungeons & Dragons world or timeline. Any suggestions on ways to improve a scene are appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own D&D.

These chapters are scenes of a backstory for a character I am playing. I have many ideas for scenes and I work on them one at a time, focusing on which one seems more interesting for me to write at the time. I will try to put them in chronological order whenever I write a new scene.

In the homebrew campaign that this is for, the Shadar-kai are guardians of the realms and the hands and eyes of the Mistress of Fate. When someone does great deeds in the Raven Queen's name and earns her favor, they are taken after they die and instead of traveling over to any final resting place, are given a choice to become a Shadar-kai. The Shadar-kai are each assigned a realm in which they are constantly reborn into. When there they hunt those who try and defy fate while taking care of any issues that arise that try and destroy the great tapestry.

When they die, they are brought back to the Raven Queen's private area of the shadowfell where they shed their old body and are reborn into a new chosen form. Then they retrain that body in any skills or magic they wish to use for that life before at the age of 100, the elven bodies maturity, they are sent from the shadowfell back into their plane and their access to the shadowfell is blocked until it is time for the current bodies fate to end and the cycle to begin again.

These are the tales of the many lives of one such Shadar-kai.

Chapter 1

Blood sprayed against the old rotting wood of the post as it rattled from the impact. A small fist with rusted bands of metal wrapped around the skin pulled back from the wood before striking forward into it again with more drops of blood flying into the air.

SMACK!

SMACK!

SMACK!

A frail looking arm pulled back and straightened with every punch as a small tear followed a small wet path down a young boy's face before getting wiped away by the matted mass of black hair wiping around his head from his movements.

His lips curled back in an unconscious snarl as the word thrown at him earlier that day played back in his mind repetitively.

"Such a failure. He can't even use magic properly."

"Hey Catastrophe, how are you planning to destroy your world this time?"

"Go away freak, only proper Shadar-kai are allowed in here, not failures like you."

"I heard you blew yourself up again. Guess we finally found what you are good at."

SMACK!

SMACK!

SMACK!

It wasn't his fault that he couldn't do magic properly. He had tried many times. He had tried very hard but it just wouldn't work right. Oh sure, he could do a couple low level spells and tricks but nothing really useful. Every time he tried anything really useful, it went wrong in the worst way possible.

Like that time he tried to resurrect a fallen hero inside of the Crystal Grove. He still didn't know how an eternal blizzard formed out of that. It just didn't make sense.

Or how about during the ancient Wizard War? All he tried to do was cast a prismatic sphere to protect himself with. How was he supposed to know that all the different layers of magic in such a spell would react violently with all the magic being thrown about on the field. He didn't mean to help start the Cataclysm. He was just trying to prevent it, honestly.

And who could forget the Vidian Crater? The one time he tried to use his bad luck with magic, expecting it to go wrong, and it actually worked. Or maybe that was also his bad luck. After all a giant city sized crater around a demon portal that is guarded by a demonic horde who have set up defenses in the crater would definitely be considered bad luck. So apparently trying to use a bad spell to get a good effect doesn't help the issue.

SMACK!

SMACK!

SMACK!

Besides, this last time wasn't even magic. Hell, it wasn't even his fault at all. Some idiot thought it would be a good idea to mix volatile alchemy ingredients in the inn room right next to his as he was sleeping.

SMACK!

SMACK!

SMACK!

One day soon, he swore to himself, they will see that I'm not useless, that I am skilled, that I am important. One day, She will talk to me, and give me a mission that only I can do. And then they will love me. Then they will be in awe of me. Another tear traces its way down his check. And then, just maybe, they will be my friends.

SMACK!

SMACK!

SMACK!

The sounds of flesh hitting wood continued throughout the night as the child refused to give up, refused to bow to peer pressure, refused to acknowledge that little voice whispering in back of his mind.

What if they are right?

Young bleary amethyst eyes opened to the sight of the usual moon-filled sky of the Shadowfell. A look of confusion crosses his face as he wonders at what woke him up.

After a couple moments of silence, his eyes begin to droop closed once again.

"Kraa!"

His eyes snap back open as the sound shatters the silence around him. Listening closer now, he can hear the sounds of a small creature dragging itself along the ground at the edge of the field.

Giving a weary sigh, he rolls over onto his stomach and places his blood encrusted hands on the ground under his chest before painfully pushing himself up onto his feet.

Stumbling over towards the sounds given off, he takes a moment to search the shadows and sees a small black raven with one wing fully extended and dragging upon the ground as it drags itself along the ground with its claws.

"Kraa!" The raven tries to stand defensively against the boy while trying to protect its wing.

He kneels down a couple feet away and picks up a small berry from the ground before holding out his hand and letting the magic flow through his fingertips and into the berry. "I want to help. Why don't you come home with me and we can take a look at that wing of yours?"

The raven cocks its head to the side briefly before hopping forward onto him palm as the magic of an animal friendship spell settles into its eyes allowing it to see that the boy meant no harm to it.

The streets were chaos during the midday hour as everyone tried to take as much advantage of the light given off by the full moon before it begins waning. The young boy showed that his small frail frame had its uses as he was able to nimbly dodge and weave through gaps in the crowds without once jarring the little raven. However the crowds were larger than just the normal Shadar-kai that he had expected. Beings of all different races and followers of many other gods also packed the streets as they used the time to experience all the small city had to offer while it was available due to the council of the gods being held there very soon.

The boy stopped suddenly and had to fight his own momentum for balance as a large insect creature with four arms, each carrying a battleaxe with a wicked black edged blade, seemed to suddenly appear in one of the gaps in the crowd ahead of him. He tried to throw out his free hand for balance but within the first couple inches, his fingers felt a slimy material.

Looking around he started to breathe heavily and his eyes began to fill with the first hints of panic as it seemed the crowds were pushing in on him, with no gaps to be seem. The air seemed to grow heavier and thick, nearly suffocating.

"Kraa!"

The sharp sound brought his gaze quickly back to the raven as his mind snapped out of his panic and back to the issue at hand. He takes a deep breath and pulls the raven close to his chest as he mumbles a heartfelt, "Thank you." His eyes, calmer now gazes around him and what a moment ago seemed a solid wall of bodies was found to have a small gap in it that, if he was quick enough, he could squeeze through.

Taking a deep breath and gathering his wits about him, he once more leapt into the fray as he used his nimbleness and momentum to try and shove his small frame through the gap in front of him.

Suddenly, he was free. Cool, fresh air hit his face as he devoured it by the lungful.

After taking a couple minutes to get his breath back, he set out once again towards his home with the crowds at his back and a new friend, one who couldn't judge him, in his hand.

Yellow pages, faded with age, whispered in the small cabin as the same young boy flipped through them in search of a way to help his new friend. After all, with all the lives he has lived and information he has gathered, he should have learned about caring for birds at one point.

A small frown appears on his face as page after page, notes are written in his own hand about Matrim, a raven companion, and the adventures they had. Life after life, a different face, a different story, and yet also the same raven with the same name.

After thirty pages of stories finally he comes upon an entry detailing a battle in which Matrim took an arrow through one of his wings and the care that was required to patch it up. As he collects the items listed and follows the instructions, his mind ponders over the puzzle presented upon the pages of the book.

His fingers deftly tie off the wrap around the wrapped wing as his eyes settle upon the raven's own bottomless gaze. "You wouldn't happen to be Matrim, would you?"

A minute of silence fills the small cabin before the raven tilts it's head as if in confusion which sets the boy off into small chuckles of laughter.

"Now I'm just being paranoid. But hey, why not carry on the tradition? From now on, your name is Matrim. Does that sound good to you?"

"Kraa!" The raven puffs out its chest as if in acknowledgement of the name.

"Good, and my name is Knotai. You can stay here as long as you need to. After all, that's what friends do for each other right? I've always wanted a friend."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Knotai floated, without weight, without temperature, in a sea of shadows. He was perfectly alone. Nobody was watching. Nobody else was there. He was not perfectly sure that he was there himself. It was just void, darkness. He wills himself to see something, anything, and an instant later, he could see faint light piercing through the shadows. And if he could see, then he had other senses too. It came to him that he must exist, must be more than disembodied thought. Almost as soon as he had reached this conclusion, Knotai became conscious that he was naked. Convinced as he was of his total solitude, this did not concern him, but it did intrigue him slightly. He floated in a dark mist, though it was not like any mist he had ever experienced before. His surroundings were not hidden by the cloudy vapor; rather the cloudy vapor had not yet been formed into anything tangible.

He sat up, or as much as he could while floating. His body appeared unscathed. He touched his face. His wounds were no longer there. Then a noise reached him through the unformed nothingness that surrounded him: the small soft whispers of threads rubbing against more threads. It was a soothing noise, yet also slightly jarring. He had the uncomfortable feeling that he was eavesdropping on something secret. For the first time, he wished he were clothed.

Barely had the wish formed in his head than robes appeared a short distance away. He took them and pulled them on. They were soft, clean, and warm. It was extraordinary how they had appeared just like that, the moment he had wanted them. He stood up, looking around. Was he in some great Illusion? The longer he looked, the more there was to see. An extravagant tapestry unrolled before him, made of vibrant greens and yellows and dulled, pulsing reds and purple. Scenes of great wonder and noble deeds played out before his eyes before being overburdened by the weights of great tragedy only for acts of wonder and nobility to rise again to the challenge.

He started walking along the tapestry seeing the same patterns being played over again and again with small changes but always ending the same way. As his footsteps fell upon the expertly woven threads, his eyes lost themselves in the wonder of the skill represented in the unique ways that the threads managed to twist and turn into such a story.

With a moment of clarity he realized, this was the tapestry of fate. Woven since before time began and prophesied to be unbroken until time ends. With that realization, the tapestry comes to an ends where it seems the dark mist is condensing down into threads of multiple hues of color before trying to weave into the next part of the tale. However, a tangle in skein seems to be building causing the threads to pull against each other, tightening and strangling the design before it starts pulling upon previous threads. He reaches forward to try and halt the threads and unravel them.

The moment his fingers brush against the first thread, the weave beneath his feet tears itself apart. He tries to quickly snatch at the threads to stop this destruction that in his mind, must not happen. And suddenly, it stops. The threads quickly weave back together as the massive knot releases its grip. The ends of the threads turn back into mist as the tapestry seems to be reversing itself back to a point before the snare had a strangling hold.

Everything stops. The stories told freeze into place. The threads hang motionless in the air. Even the very mist seems to be holding its breath, waiting for either salvation or damnation.

Under his right foot, something moves. He looks down and sees a royal purple thread pulse with life as it seems to form out of his very skin before stretching out before him. The thread swells until he can see individual scenes inside of it.

A small frail child punching a tree with small bands of rusted metal wrapped around his hands. The first meeting between that same child and a small injured raven. Whispers and looks of disgust following him home as he walks among the streets of his own kind.

With a gasp he follows the trail of the thread as it entwines itself into a small collection of threads; soft blue, dazzling yellow, festive green, burning red, steady brown, and mesmerizing aqua. These threads wrap themselves around his own thread before piercing straight into the heart of the tangle. And for a brief moment, it seems as if the threads might drown under the weight of the strangling mass before slowly the tangle unravels and the tales of time once again start to weave into a new tale.

A small itch develops between his shoulder blades and a feeling of being watched develops. He looks up and the shadows now curl back to reveal the familiar sight of a massive white porcelain woman's face. Eyeless, yet staring straight at, if not through him. Her presence, imposing as it may be, soothes him as her giant hand, larger than a house, a palace, it seems, almost emerges from below and scoops him off of the tapestry. As his feet touch her palm, that single purple thread wraps itself around his leg and gently starts tugging him forward.

As his foot lifts to make that first step, he hears above him in a soft, yet distant, feminine voice, "Awake my champion. The world needs you sooner then I believed."

With a loud gasp shattering the stillness of the night, a hauntingly white skinned elf opens his eyes to a sky of star. As he lays there, decades before his time should have come, his past memories already fading back into his subconscious, he wonders aloud to himself, "Why choose me? Am I even worthy?"

The only answer he receives is the soft caw of a raven nearby as the wind gently plays with the soft strands of his long, black hair on its way past.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A lone man walked through the trees, arms wrapped around his body in a futile attempt to ward off the bone seeping cold. The first rays of light from the rising sun seemed to be absorbed into his black hair as small sticky patches of red marked the path behind him.

It had been four days since he woke once more into this world, with no knowledge of where he was or clothes for him to wear. Four long days since he was pulled out of that vision and thrust into this world eighty years sooner than planned.

After lying on the ground for about an hour, he had decided to get up and simply start to walk. After all, eventually he will have to reach a road right? Or at least that is what he had though four days ago. Unfortunately the only signs of civilization he had found was a pile of bones and a few rags littering the ground around them.

He had done his best to take advantage of the rags, torn and bloody as they were, and had managed to knot them together into a very patchy looking cloak. Sadly, it didn't do much for warmth. Not wanting to stay around in case whatever made the pile came back, Knotai continued walking.

Between the biting cold making him unsure of waking the next day and the fear of another vision, Knotai had refused to sleep and pushed his body as far as he could, step after step, in search of civilization.

Knotai was positive that the lack of sleep was putting a lot more stress on his mind than he had thought. After all, there is no way that what he was seeing could be real. Could there? He rubbed his eyes and blinked a couple times before looking ahead of him again.

Sure enough, there was a human kneeling in the middle of a still smoking, battle wrecked clearing with his hand cradling a little sprout of a flower that seemed to be growing and moving with his fingers. I mean sure he knew what druids were and that they could control plants but to do so in the remnants of a battle field? And one that looked to be a couple hours old at most? If Knotai wasn't imagining it, then this human must simply be mad. There was no other explanation for it.

After a moment of disbelief, he tore his gaze away from the man and looked over the field again. It looked like this place had been the site of a minor skirmish recently. Whoever the sides were and who won was impossible to say, but there were bodies left behind, and on those bodies were clothes and weapons. Knotai sized up the bodies for a moment before moving to the one who seemed closest to his own size and stripping it of its leather armor and a small belt knife.

He looked up once more in search of a way to try and clean off the blood before putting them on when his gaze locked onto a pair of silver eyes staring straight into his own from three feet away.

With a shout of alarm, Knotai tried to jump back and felt his foot catch on the body he was just working. The world spun in a dizzying spiral for a moment before he found himself laying back on the ground with his feet pointing up towards the druid, propped on the fallen body.

A soft voice, with a deep baritone, that seems out of place when compared to the form it is released from rumbles through the clearing. "Well now, that just can't be comfortable for you. Let's do something about it."

Before Knotai can react, the druid's fingertips brush across the bloody strips of flesh that Knotai's soles had been reduced to. A soft moan escapes his lips before he can reign it as he feels pain that he wasn't even aware of anymore ease away, leaving a soothing, if slightly chilly, feeling behind.

With wide eyes, he bent his leg and tilted his foot towards his gaze and stared in awe and slight disbelief as all he found was unblemished, healthy skin.

He raised his head, word of thanks on his lips, before he noticed that the druid had already moved on. In fact, he was starting to walk out of the clearing with a familiar ball of black feathers resting on his shoulder.

Knotai quickly scrambled to his feet and mindless of the dirt, blood, and his own modesty, he shucked the ragged robe off of his shoulders and squeezed into the leather armor before rushing after the druid.

After a couple minutes of following behind him, Knotai decided that it was up to him to break the silence. "So, thank you for that back there."

The druid tilted his head forward slightly in acknowledgement. In that brief movement, Knotai noticed that the little raven that had been following him ever since he woke up here was making soft sounds in the druid's ear. And even stranger, the druid seemed to be listening to it as if he could understand it.

Shaking his head slightly, Knotai decided to mark it up to a hallucination brought on by his lack of sleep before attempting to start up a conversation again. "My name is Knotai, and I was wondering if you might know where we are."

A silver eye gleams in the light as the druid looks back over his shoulder at him. "Hmm, yes. Your friend here has informed me much about you. And I do believe where we are is of less importance to you than where we are heading." The druid looked forward again and continued moving forward as he spoke. "My name is Sotirios and I shall be leading you towards Senaria. But until we get there, let me tell you about the changes that have been wrought in the lands since you last walked them, ancient one."

A look of confusion settled on Knotai's features as he followed along and listened to the druid.

Ancient one? He couldn't know who he really was, could he? Knotai's eyes rested on the raven who's beak with still settled near Sotirios' ear and came to the conclusion that yes, he could indeed hold that knowledge now.

Sotirios tended the forest as he walked, while he talked softly to Knotai, taking care of whatever needed care without really thinking about it. His silver eyes caught a crooked limb on a climbing wild rose, forced into an awkward angle by the blossom covered limb of an apple tree, and he paused, still talking, to run his hand along the bend. Knotai was not sure if his eyes were playing tricks, or if thorns actually did bend out of the way so as not to prick those caring fingers. When the shape of the druid moved on, the limb ran straight and true, spreading blue petals among the white of apple blossoms. He bent to cup one hand around a tiny seed lying on a patch of pebbles, and when he straightened, a small shoot had roots through the rocks to good soil.

"All things must grow where they are, to cover the damage done," he explained over his shoulder, as if apologizing, "and bring beauty to the world, but Freyr will not mind if I give just a little help."

They traveled through the day with Sotirios caring for the plants around him as he walked, and talking with quite a few animals that seemed to be able to overcome their normal fears and walk right up to him. He had seen some deer, snakes, eagles, wolves, lizards, weasels, and even a bear. Sometimes these animals carried small items in their mouths and gave them to the druid before taking off again. Knotai had seen berries, bits of shed snake skin, black feathers from many different types of birds and numerous bits of plants that could be used in spellcasting.

As the sun finally started to set, Knotai noticed what looked to be a small cloud hovering over Sotirios' palm. He glanced up and noticed that in the past few hours, as he had struggled to keep awake, clouds had gathered above them and a fierce storm threatened to break.

"It would seem," Sotirios spoke from ahead, "That our travels for the day are coming to an end. Come, there is a shelter ahead that has been prepared for us. We should be able to make it just as the storm hits if we hurry."

Quickly stepping up the pace Sotirios turned to the north and strode deeper into the forest, away from the small trails they had been following. After a few minutes and as a few small drops of water began to land upon their skin, a large tree seemed to suddenly loom before them.

The tree was massive, spanning forty feet to the sides and disappearing above them into the canopy. The entire thing seemed to be covered in pine needles.

Knotai must have drifted off a moment as he starred at the tree because when he looked at Sotirios again, it was to find the druid already at the base of the tree, waiting for him.

Sotirios held back the boughs of the tree. "This is for us tonight," he announced. "Safety provided by the forest for all who respect nature."

They both ducked inside as the sky above them finally gave way.

It was dark inside. Knotai held the boughs aside so Sotirios could see by the little light remaining to set a few pieces of dried wood into a pyramid shape before a small spark of orange life bloomed from his palm and hungrily settled onto the wood. The storm raged above them, and they could see their breath in the cold air. The fire quickly spread across the logs provided, filling the interior of the tree's skirt with flickering light.

Knotai's breath caught in his throat as the shelter was illuminated. The truck of the tree split above their heads and each section rooted itself into the ground in a rough circle. The branches dipping all the way to the ground, leaving a hollow interior. The needles grew so thick that even in a good rain it remained dry inside. The smoke from the small fire curled up the center, near the trunk. There was dry wood and to the far side a stack of dry grass to be used for bedding.

He quickly shuffles closer to the fire, basking in the warmth for a few moments before hesitatingly turning towards the stacks of dry grass.

Before he could gather up the courage to make a bed for himself and once more face the vision that has been haunting him, a rustling of pine needles drew his attention. His fingers reflexively caressed the handle of the one the daggers that he had found earlier as six large wolves stepped through the branches and into the firelight, each carrying what looked to be a rabbit or two with their teeth.

Two of the rabbits were dropped at Sotirios' feet as the pack moved to circle comfortably by the fire before tearing into their own rabbit dinner. Sotirios picked up the rabbits and without a moment of hesitation pulled out a hunting and starting rendering the corpses into something edible for Knotai and himself.

"These trees are fire-resistant, as long as you are careful. And with the wolves here, nothing will bother us for the night." Sotirios spoke as he worked. "That being said, I believe it is time for a conversation that your friend is most insistent that we have. Or rather, your friend wishes for me to relay his words to you." The raven lifts off of his shoulder and flies up to perch on a knot of wood jutting out from the inside of the truck of the tree before giving a soft caw as if in agreement.

"My friend?" Knotai questioned with curious eyes latched upon the bird. "I don't even know him. He has simply followed me since I arrived and no matter what I try, I can't seem to be rid of him."

"Well, according to him, you two have known each other for hundreds of years. And speaking of getting rid of him, he would like me to make sure that you stop trying to kill him for food." The druid's voice sounds amused at the thought of him being unable to catch the tricky bird for a moment before returning to normal. "From what I understand, you lose most of your memories upon each rebirth, retaining only basic information and vague impressions about certain things. And it is one of those things that I wish to discuss with you before we retire for the night."

Knotai's eyes slide out of focus for a few minutes as he tries to pull up a memory from before he had that vision. After a few minutes of trying, he is forced to give it up as a failure before his eyes lock once more upon the druid, this time hungry for any knowledge the druid may possess about his situation.

Sotirios used Knotai's distraction to full effect and by the time Knotai's eyes rest upon him again, the rabbits are set over the fire to begin cooking.

He locks his eyes upon Knotai as his expression turns into one of a teacher about to lecture a student. "I understand that you have an issue with magic. That every time you attempt to do a high level spell with it, it backfires spectacularly. And because of that, you have become fearful of using any magic. As a matter of fact, your friend there fears that you view yourself as a failure because of it. Is this correct?"

A sudden wave of shame washes over Knotai as brief flashes play through his head.

A blizzard encompassing a large portion of a continent.

Flicker.

A Demon horde pouring through a portal that was created by his own hand.

Flicker.

Magic running wild on a battlefield, extinguishing every life force it comes into contact with.

Flicker. Flicker. Flicker.

Hundreds of memories of magic going wild and wrecking destruction across the land flash through his mind as the guilt threatens to drown him.

He lets his gaze sink into the hypnotic pattern of the flames as the memories crash over him. His mind not even offering a token of resistance to stay afloat.

He could hear the screams of those dead by his magic and the accusations that were thrown at him as blackness began to spread across the edges of his vision.

"KRAA!"

Knotai jerked back to the present moment at the sound, his gaze reflexively looking at the source before a small, thankful smile spread across his lips. "Yes, it would seem that is indeed correct."

"Well then, the fact that you do remember this and the obvious bond that seems to exist between your friend and yourself makes this much easier." Sotirios spoke softly, as if to not destroy the moment created by the small raven as he rescued his friend from the nightmares of his own mind. "I have been informed of who you serve and as such have come up with a theory that I wish for you to think over. What if those disasters weren't really disasters and were instead what was fated to happen and your magic was simply fate's will? What if one of the consequences of those spells was the death of one who would've torn the tapestry of fate asunder? What if you don't lack control over your magic at all?"

A moment of silence settled around them broken only by the crackling of the flames before Sotirios spoke again. "I have met people before who have no capability to use magic of their own. This does not make them failures. After all, not everyone can be great at the same thing. A businessman would not know how to build a house. Nor would a soldier be expected to cook a royal feast. And you, my strange friend, have no capacity for magic in your body. It should be impossible for you to use magic which means that any magic that you cast is allowed by the one you serve."

Knotai's eyes were wide as he starred incredulously at the druid as his mind struggling to come to terms with all that he had just learned. He couldn't use magic? Did that mean that those disasters weren't his fault? Could it possibly be that he wasn't a failure?

For the first time since he woke in this world a calm sense of confidence settled into his mind as he chose, if only for this moment, to believe that he wouldn't fail his Mistress. That he could be Her champion.

They spent the rest of the night in silence as they ate and then retired for the night.

It was the tickling feeling on his neck that woke him the next morning. His hand reached up to swat the offending item away before his eyes shot open wide. He quickly sat up and looked down to see a large mass of black feathers pooling around his waist. He looked around and saw that he was alone, no wolves, no fire pit, no druid. Was last night just a dream? He looked back down and took a moment to inspect the feathered mass. To his surprise it was a cloak, made of black feathers and resting on the ground was a small piece of paper with only a couple lines of writing on it.

Remember what I said.

Head east for half a day and you shall reach Senaria.

Safe travels my friend.

His lips twitched upwards into a small smile as he realized that yes, last night really did happen.

He quickly gathered his things and stepped out into the morning sun, fully rested and ready to begin his life here anew.

With a quick glance at the raven, he strode forward and disappeared from sight heading east. He had many things to think on and many of his beliefs had been stood on their head. It would take time to sort them all out but for now at least, he held hope that he would succeed.


	4. Chapter 4

Why was he here?

Knotai looked out from the giant bell tower to see the sky darkening as the night creeped ever on in its eternal chase of the light while he pondered upon the question. Ever since he woke up in this world from that vision, he has felt something pulling at him. At first he tried to fight it, but the pulling began to become painful until finally he gave in and followed it. And that pulling had led him here. To this small port town on the eastern coast of whatever land he was in.

Sure, it was a decent size for a port city and being the only real city on this side of the Sleeping Mountains meant that it got its fair share of trade but it didn't really impress him when he first saw it. It looked like any other small sized port city with a bell tower in the middle with merchants and local farmers peddling their wares all through its streets.

It had been two nights since he last saw the druid and upon reaching the city, he had not found the answers he was searching for. Why was he drawn here? What was he supposed to do? And lastly, what was so important about this city?

"KRAA!"

Knotai was jerked back out of his thoughts as the sudden sound seemed to vibrate off of the bell in front of him, amplifying the sound. With a snarl on his lips, he turned and growled at the bird that was becoming the bane of his existence. The same bird that he could never seem to get rid of. He had tried to catch it for food, lose it in the thick forest, pelt it with stones to make it leave willingly, and even let the river current take him underwater a ways in hope of the bird losing him but always, without fail, whenever he looked up, there it was. It was as if the thing was mocking his efforts.

"KRAA!" The raven cried again.

"Alright already," Knotai succumbed to the inevitable. "I'm getting up. I don't suppose you can simply lead me to what I'm here for instead of me just wandering blindly around could you?" He snorted to himself, "No, that would be too easy."

He threw his feathered cloak over his shoulders and looked out again from the tower to gaze upon the sunset one more time before heading back down into the streets. To his surprise, his gaze landed on the form of that raven flying down towards the outer edge of town. He hesitated for a moment, "It can't be that easy. Could it?" With a shrug he vaulted over the edge of the tower and in a series of dizzying acrobatics caught and flipped his way down to the ground using small ledges and outcropping flag poles.

He closed the cloak around him and ducked his head as he slipped into the crowds, heading in the direction the raven had gone.

Knotai looked at the dark tunnel entrance in front of him with a hint of unease. He looked up at the raven perched upon the stone ledge above it.

"Are you sure about this? Most cities don't have an entrance underneath them like this unless it deals with the criminal element of the underdark. And trust me, little one, you wouldn't survive in the underdark."

"KRAA!" The raven leaned forward and screeched at his as if offended that he dare question its judgement and knowledge.

"Alright, alright, I meant no offense, was just making sure." He looked again into the tunnel. "I do wonder however, what could be so important to force me here. Well, seems there is only one way to find out." With one last look at the raven, he plunged into the darkness of the tunnel. A soft flutter of wings were heard before a small weight settled itself upon his shoulders.

It took about a minute of walking with his hand on the wall before his eyes adjusted to the lack of light. On all sides he saw a carved stone tunnel in various shades of dark grey and a light grey in front of him, indicating the open path.

After about a half hour of walking, he began to notice a red glow coming from a curve of the path in front of him. He walked to the turn in the path and slowly looked around it before his eyed widen in shock.

Laying before him was a massive cavern, miles wide. And in that cavern sprawled an enormous underground metropolis. A three-tiered cylindrical city was built here, where no such marvel should be possible on such a scale. Marble columns, archways, and a labyrinth of bridges climbing across a vertical landscape creating a kaleidoscope of shadows dancing over the earth that surrounds it all. All backlit and warmed within the red glow of some strange, crimson rock peppered throughout the city as a light source. And enveloping the entire top tier of this massive wonder was the largest forge that Knotai had ever lain eyes upon.

After a few seconds to process what he was seeing, he looks to the raven questioningly. "Ok, we're here, now what?"

"KRAA!"

At the sound, pieces of a memory start flashing through his mind.

A young female dwarf introducing herself as Maevlin apprentice to the Iron General. Ten dagger molds with a single black feather in each as a hand drips blood onto each. Ten beautifully crafted daggers, the handles given the form of a ravens head with a pattern of its wings traveling down to form the blade.

He blinks for a moment before looking at the raven again. "Well, I guess you are useful after all." He admitted grudgingly. "I suppose that means you are supposed to be my guide?"

The raven rubs its head against his cheek in answer.

Knotai chuckles a moment as he thinks of all the time wasted fighting the raven when it seems that all he had to do was ask. With a shake of his head, he steps toward the city with a new thought claiming a place in his mind. Always listen to the raven. 

Knotai slipped into the alleyway just in time as a soft light spread across the road that he left behind. Low gravelly voices sounded as a group of four dwarves marched by speaking in a language unfamiliar to him. He let out a soft breath of relief as the voices carried on out of earshot.

These roads were confusing. Every time he thought he was getting closer, he would emerge onto a bridge to find himself back near the outskirts of the city. The entire place was a giant maze.

He prepared to step from the alley once more and continue his attempts to reach the forge when the sounds of two more voices hit his ears. They were a little ways away but this time they were speaking in a language he could understand.

"Did you hear the latest news about Thoren?" A deep voice asked.

"Let me guess, he has yet another idea on how black sand can change everything we know about how to work metals?" A second, more feminine, voice scornfully answered.

"Nah, it seems the old fool has finally snapped and left to go and get some of it in order to prove us all wrong." The male responded.

A burst of laughter followed the comment before the feminine voice calmed down enough to reply.

"So he decided to face the undead hordes alone just to get some black sand from Hollow's Cross? He really was mad. Good riddance to bad eggs." The voices fade into laughter as they carry out of range.

Knotai made a mental note to check out these undead once his business here was done. With a quick look around the corner, he darted once more into the street to attempt to reach the goal.

"A fated customer has arrived with an order."

A head of long silver hair looks up at the sound and her lidded hazel eyes dart across the shadows above her in search of the voice.

"And does this customer have the items required?" She asks to darkness above her.

A raven breaks free from the shadows in response and alights on her shoulder. It stares pointedly at a burn scar stretching from the top of her left cheek, running towards her lips and then hooking back up to end just under her left eye before it starts preening her hair.

She gazes at the raven for a moment before giving out a soft disbelieving laugh. "Come down here Ancient One and we can begin." She disappears into a vault nearby to fetch the items that she requires.

Knotai hesitates in the shadows. That voice sounded like the one from the memory. Sure it was a bit raspy and weathered by age but he swore it was the same voice. Should he act like he knew her? Would she think him rude if he didn't know her? Would she perhaps take it as an insult if he acted like he knew her and slipped up?

He heard the sound of footfalls coming towards him from the vault and swiftly jumped down into the light moments before she reappeared with the dagger molds in her arms. She stepped over to a bench and laid out all ten molds in a row before reaching up and plucking feather off of the raven for each mold before moving aside and looking towards him.

"Well, you certainly look better this time. You aren't carrying that half dead look anymore." She said in way of a greeting.

His hesitation on how to respond must've shown on his face because moments later she spoke again. "So it is true. Even though I remember you, you don't really remember me. I am Iron General Maevlin. And I welcome you to your new life once more. I have had everything prepared ever since your book arrived on my desk a week ago."

He tried to mask his confusion as he stepped forward to the molds. He took a small knife and pricked the tip of his finger before allowing a single drop of blood to fall onto each feather. "And just how much is it going to cost me to have these made along with receiving my book back?"

She scoffs as she brushes him out of the way and starts collecting the molds. It will cost you two gold a piece for the daggers as usual. And the book will be given back to you with the daggers just like always. Now, if this is anything like last time, you should spend the next couple hours "earning" the twenty gold that you need. Return with it in the morning and everything will be ready for you."

She takes the molds over to the smelter and begins to fill them with liquid metal before speaking once more. "Don't bother asking more about yourself or the past. I am bound by oaths and am forbidden to share more. And before you try saying that is unjust, it was by your own insistence when this deal was made with the very first Iron General. Now leave, I have work to be doing here."

The raven launches itself from her shoulder and back up into the shadows above as Knotai gives out another sigh and follows suit.

As the morning light dawns on the city above, a thin mass of feathers slips into the main forge before the feathers split apart, revealing a small pale elven man.

Knotai looks around and spotting the ten raven themed daggers sitting on a bench alongside a book, feels a small smile curve its way into his lips. He picks up the daggers and book and then leaves two gold in the place where each dagger rested before slipping back into the shadows once more.

He had some rumors of undead to look into and maybe an old dwarf to save if he could. And if, on the way, he managed to uncover the secrets behind the book, all the better. But he was in no hurry. After all he had weapons to protect himself with, a couple puzzles to keep his mind busy with, and a guide who wouldn't steer him wrong.

This was his story, and it had only just begun.

Author's Note

This story is a way for me to keep track of my characters progression in a campaign I am playing in. Up to this point is all backstory for him and as such I could do regular updates. From this moment on, this story will be updated when I reach a part in the campaign that allows for another chapter. After all, being halfway through a dungeon does not a story make.

That being said, I am a new writer and everything I have ever written (Not counting school assignments) in on this site and under this penname. I would much appreciate any suggestions or ideas on how to help me improve my writing if you are willing to share them.

Please do not confuse this with me begging for reviews. Whether I get good reviews, flames, or no reviews at all, I will continue to write. I do however desire to be a published author one day and this is just the first step in my path. This is to help me gain experience writing and to help me work out any issues that my writing style creates.

Hope you enjoy the story and I would advise following to know when the next chapter gets updated.


	5. Author Note

Due to the fact that the DM for this campaign is planning to make a book about this world of his and my inexperience in trying to get in the heads of other people's characters, I have come to the decision to stop the story where it is and write it as complete as a full character background. I may in the future do some one shots of different individual things that might happen in his background for need to flush it out some more but as it stands this story is finished. Thank you all for reading it and I hope you find some more stories to read and enjoy.


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